Beef Brisket — The Freezer, the Family, the Winter

The freezer is getting properly stocked. Two trips this season, two deer — I went out again Wednesday morning before work, a short hunt in the predawn that I was not sure about because I had a full workday ahead. But the weather was cold and clear and the conditions were right and I decided that a man who only hunts when it is convenient does not hunt much. Got a small buck, maybe a hundred and forty pounds dressed. Not a trophy animal but that is not what I am hunting for. I am hunting for meat, for the thing Danny taught me to hunt for: the freezer, the family, the winter. The antlers do not feed anybody.

I made venison chili Sunday with the trim from both deer. My chili is a strict recipe — no beans, no tomatoes, just dried chiles rehydrated and blended, the venison ground coarse, onion and garlic and cumin and oregano, and a long braise that softens everything into a rich, deep red stew that is nothing like what comes from a can. I have been refining this recipe for four years. Hannah has parallel-developed a bean-and-tomato chili that she maintains is also correct, and she is right, it is also good. We are both right and also both wrong about each other's chili. This will never be resolved.

Kai sat at the kitchen table while I cooked and drew pictures with his crayons, keeping me company in his way. He drew what he told me was a deer, which looked more like a dog with antennae, but the intent was clear and I thanked him for it. I told him the deer in the drawing was providing our chili and he said "okay" with complete acceptance. He has been eating venison his whole life and understands, at some basic three-year-old level, that food comes from somewhere and the somewhere is real and specific. That is not nothing. That might be the whole thing, actually.

Terry called Sunday evening. Danny had a hard day — chest tightness, the kind that makes the oxygen feel insufficient. He is okay, she said, but it was a hard day. I packed up a container of chili and drove out Monday morning before work. He ate it for lunch. She called to tell me he had eaten a full bowl and asked if there were seconds.

There were seconds. I had packed extra.

The chili I made that Sunday operates on the same logic as this brisket — long, low heat, a cut of meat that rewards patience, and the knowledge that you’re cooking for somebody who needs it. When I don’t have venison trim on hand, or when I want to bring something to Danny and Terry that travels well and reheats without losing anything, this is the recipe I reach for. A brisket braise asks almost nothing of you except time, and what it gives back is exactly the kind of meal that a full bowl of means something.

Beef Brisket

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 4 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 4 hrs 50 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 lb beef brisket, flat cut
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth, low sodium
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat and season. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Pat the brisket completely dry with paper towels. Combine salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder, then rub the mixture evenly over all sides of the brisket.
2. Sear the meat. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the brisket fat-side down and sear without moving it for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep brown crust forms. Flip and sear the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onions to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, letting it darken slightly against the bottom of the pot.
4. Deglaze and add liquid. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add the beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
5. Braise low and slow. Return the brisket to the pot, fat-side up. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat. Cover tightly with the lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 4 to 4 and 1/2 hours, until the brisket is fork-tender and pulls apart easily when pressed.
6. Rest and slice. Remove the brisket from the pot and let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs and bay leaves. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid. Slice the brisket against the grain into 1/4-inch slices and return to the pot with the juices before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 44g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 510mg